Process of and apparatus for forging balls.



F. 'M. CANDA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORGING BALLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23,1915.

1 ,QQQL, 1 27 Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

A gx J F. M. CANDA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORGING BALLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1915.

l ,QQQL l 27 Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

4 21 16 56 W :(5 b 6 25 E5 8 19 6 16 15 9- 2o 20 17 12 5 11 I 'L I 2 i 15? I I I a A 5 I J J wwwmae/az F. M. CANDA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORGING BALLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23,1915.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

L2127L Y 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

as ten.

FERDINAND MORA CANDA, 0F PLAINFIELD, NEW

PROCESS OF AND PARA'IUS FOR FQRG-ING BALLS.

moaned.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Nov. '3', 19116.

Application filed February 23, 1915. Serial No. 9,844.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND MORA CANDA, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful 'Process of and Apparatus for Forging Balls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process of and apparatus for forging metal objects, particularly balls, and. as a process comprises the shearing of a billet into blanks, the endpressing of such blanks between cup dies with consequent compression of the metal in onev direction," and expansion of the metal in other directions, to fill the dies, the spreading out of excessmetal into a fin, and the shearing of the fin, all. of which operations are performed at one heat, and preferably in one press.

As an apparatus my invention comprlses forging means comprising shearing means, cup forging dies, and fin shearing means, all operated by a single-reciprocating memher; also means for automatically advanc-' ing a billet to the first mentioned shearing means; also means for freeing the forged object from the cup dies; and various other features, all as hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

the press, portions of the press being The object of. my invention is to' provide an improved method of, and improvedbroken away. Fig. 3 shows a transverse vertical section through-the cup dies and associated parts on alarger scale than the" preceding views;f thesection of Fig. 3 being on a plane-parallel to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailwside elevation. of a mechanism for freeing the forged objects from the cup dies. Fig. shows a vertical section of the dies, shears, etc., of the press, thls section being taken on the center-line of the press, on a plane parallel to that of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a top view of the lower dies and associated parts of the press the upper dies and associated parts having been omitted. Fig. 7 shows a side elevation of the two shear blades employed together with a section of a billet between those shear blades. Fig. 8 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the forging press and its feed table associated with a rolling mill and the feed tables thereof, whereby the metal is rolled from the ingot into a bar of the required size for the blanks and thence transferred to the press and converted into balls, all atone heat.

. My invention is particularly intended to facilitate the making oflarge metal crusher ballssay for example, balls of three inches herein described are also applicable to the formation by forging of other objects projectiles, for example. Heretofore large balls,

. diameter and over--such as are employed in crusher mills, but the method and apparatus projectiles, etc.,- have usually been made under the steam hammer and by a large number of blows of. the hammer, reheating of the ball blanks being required after shearing of such blanks from the billets, in order that the blanks may be at a proper forging temperature when placed under the hammer. Such reheating is .expensive, particularly since it requires considerable handling of the blanks, and the taking of them to and from the reheating furnace, and it also in-, volves possibility-of injury to the metal. Furthermore, the process of hammering a blank into ball shape under the steam hammer is somewhat expensive, requiring skilled labor," and requiring repeated turning of the body of metal in process of formation into a ball, from sixty to eighty blows being required. By the method and apparatus herein described, these objections are avoided, for the billet is sheared, the sheared blanks thereby produced are pressed into ball shape,

and the fin resulting from such pressing is' sheared ofi', al1 within one press and by suc- -'-cessive single operations performed by a single reciprocating member of that press; and such operations are performed by means insuch close proximity to one another, and" in such rapid sequence, thataino reheating is required. Preferably, these operations are performed by means of a forging press, the

action of which as compared with that of a steam'hammer or other mechanical hammer, is particularly advantageous; for while the speed of operation of such a .press is practically that of a steam hammer or other mechanical hammer, yet such a press applies its pressure'to the metal being forged somewhat gradually as compared with a hammer, the metal being given time to flow so as to fill the dies, whereby by a single stroke of the pressa blank may be converted into a ball or like object, whereas when forming a ball or like object by means of a hammer, a succession of blows are required.

ings, and at first to Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, numeral 1 designates the ram of an ordinary 1 forgingpress, 2- the head thereof and 3 the anvil thereof. 1 will not describe the (3011- I struction and operation ofthe. press in deftail, as such presses are well known. It is as cup dies 6 and 7 '(shown, in this case, as of a sufiicient to say that in the operation of such a press as illustrated, the ram 1 rises and falls under control oi an operator, so raising and lowering the head2, and with it any die or dies carried by that head; the operation of the press being quite rapid, the press nevertheless exerting a pressing action upon the metal, as distinguished from a hammering action.- a

Figs. 5 and 6 show the various dies, etc, with which the press is provided, according to my invention. The head 2 and anvil 3 of the press are provided with die blocks 4 and 5 respectively, in or towhich are secured form suitable for formingballs), also with fin-shearing ring dies 8 and 9. To these die blocks are also secured shearblades 10 and 11, shown in side. elevation in Fig. 7. In

cotiperative relation with the shear blades afeed table12 provided with the usual carrying rolls 13, is provided; the purpose. of

i this feed table being to deliver the billet automatically to the shearing blades;l and the upper die block 4 isfurther provided with an adjustable stop 14: whereby the a length of the pieces cut ofi from the billet by= the shear blades is' determined.

15 designates a billet mounted upon the feed table. It will be apparent that at each Z24and so actuating plunger 22. a shear blade 10'is raised, upon the billet 15,

ported by the stationary anvil block 3, and Y :fis provided with an'adjustable abutment 32 and a'mova-ble abutment 33, between which rise of the press ram, as soon as the upper that billet will be advanced by the'feed table until the-front end ofthe-billet en"- .counters the stopplate 14. Upon the next descent of the press ram, theshear blade 10,

table portion of the die block is a groove-17 provided to facilitate the insertion of tongs to grasp. the blank thusshearedbfi'. Upon, }:the next riseof-theram a workman will,

grasp the blank 18 with tongs, and, lifting that blank and turning it upright, or on end,

from the cup dies 6 and 7, and also to facili- Referring now to the accompanying drawtate the transfer of such partly formed ball from the cup dies to the fin-shearing dies, 8 and 9, plungers 21 and 22 are provided in suitable bores formed in the cup dies 6 and 7 and in the die blocks 4 and 5. Without confining myself to automatic means, or to any particular means, for actuating these plungers 2-1 and 22, I have illustrated, particularly in Figs. 3, a and 6, convenient means for actuating such plungers comprising pivoted levers 23 and 24 located in con? venient slotsin the die blocks 3 and 4, and

bearing against the outer ends of the plunge ers 21 and 22 respectively; also rods 25 and 26 operated by the ram 1 as hereinafter described, for operating said levers 23 and 24. The rod 25 is provided with an adjustable abutment 27' whereby, as said rod is lifted, the outer'end of the-lever '24; is lifted, so raising the plunger 22, and lifting the ball 20., permitting a workmanto' introduce a fork underneath the'equatorial fin of this ball; and then, as the plunger lcontinues to rise, the workman transfers this ball to the fin cutting die 9, the fin of the ball resting 'upon the die9. Rod 25 passes throughan ear28 of the press head 2; and said rod 25 is further provided with a loose abutment 29 adapted to be engaged by that ear 28 as the press head 2 risesg also with a fixed abutment 30; and between abutments 29 and 30-thereis a stiff spring 31. It will be seen that as the press head 2 rises, with the ram 1, the ear 28 will'engage the abutment 29, and, thelift being transmitted through spring31't0 abutment 30, will raise rod. 25, 1 5

the abutment 27 on that rod engaging lever v The rod 26 which actuates lever 23 is supabutmentsthere is a still spring34. As the.

press head 2 rises-,jcarrying with it the lever 123,.this lever 23. engages the abutment 33,,

and, owing to the resistanceofi'ered by the spring 34, that lever 23' is pressed down,

- (irdina'rily, the plunger 21 not required,

'- plunger 21 and means for operating the same is provided as a precaution and W111 since rarely, if ever, will the ball adhere to the upper die 6, and lift therewith; but the falling through the die 9 into a delivery passage 35 provided in die 5 and in the press anvil 3, and rolling off to any convenient point of delivery. Conveniently, the upper die block 4 is provided with a portion 36 which will force the formed ball down through die 9 into'this delivery passagefas the fin is sheared off. It will thus be seen that the completed balls deliver themselves, and I purpose to extend the delivery passage 35 by means of a trough 37 (Fig. 2) which trough willhave such length that the balls, as they travel down it, will cool until by the time they reach the end of,that trough they will be sufiiciently cold to drop into cars. If the press must be so located that it is notconvenient to have the cars, to receive such balls, at a suflicient level below the press, a suitable elevator may be provided to raise the balls to such height that they may fall from that press, into another trough (which, with the elevator is functionally a continuation ofthe trough 37) and from such other trough the balls may roll until cooled sufficiently :tobe dropped into the car without injury.

It will be understood that each of the three operations of cutting off a blank, pressing a blank into ball form, and shearing the fin from a formed ball, is ordinarily performed at each stroke of the press; in other words, at each downward stroke of the press, three bodies of heated metal undergo treatment in stages which succeed one another. Theworkmen are required to perform only very simple operations indeed, viz :the turning of the blank 18 upright and the placing of it between the cup dies,

and the transfer of the formed ball, with fin thereon, to the fin cutting dies; and since these operations are simple and easily performed, and since the workmen are required to move the metal a very short distance only, the press may operate with great rapidity; in fact, at a rate of between ten and twenty strokes a minute. eration is so rapid that the metal cools but little between the successive operations. In fact, it is practicable to receive the billet directly from the usual billet-forming rolling mill upon the table 12, and by that table 12 deliver the billet to the shear blades 10 and 11, and thence to perform the varicomprising The opous operations of the press upon such billet,

without'any reheating whatever. This is illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein 38 designates an. ordinary rolling mill (shown in this case as a three-high mill) and 39 designates the usual feed tables of such mill, one of these tables being arranged to discharge the rolled billet upon the feed table 12 of the press,

It will'be readily apparent that bysuch cooperative arrangement of rolling mill, feed tables, and press, it is quite practicable to roll an ingot to a billet and thence transfer it to the feed table 12, and soto the press,

and convert the billetinto balls, all without reheating. V

\Vhile I have described my process and apparatuswith particular reference to the formation of balls, I do not intend thereby to limit my process to the formation of balls only, but to the contrary may employ .my

process, and the described apparatus, for

ing balls and like objects, which comprises cutting heated I billets into blanks, pressing each blank .as produced, to form, between suitable dies, and then cutting off the fin produced by such dies, the several operations of producing the blanks, pressing such blanks into form, and cutting off the fins, being performed each as a single operation and all at'one heat.

2. Means for forging balls and the like. comprising in combination cutting off meansfor cutting successive blanks from a body of metal, pressure forming means for pressingsuch blanks to form, and fin cutting means, and a single operating device for all of said three means, whereby the several operations of cutting off, pressing to form, and removing the fin, may be performed in one heat and by successive transfer of blanks from the cutting off means to the pressure means, and thence to the fin cutting means.

3. Means for forging balls and the like, in combination cutting off means for cutting successive blanks from a body of metal, pressure forming means for pressing such blanks to form, and fin cutting means, and a single operating device for all of said three means, whereby the several operations of cutting off, pressing to form, and removing the fin, may be performed in one heat and by successive transfer of blanks from the cutting off means to the pressure means, and thence to the fin cutting means, and means for freeing the formed article from the pressing means.

4. Means for forging balls and the like. comprising in combination cutting off means for cutting successive blanks from a body of metal, pressure forming means for pressing such blanks to form, and fin cutting means, and a single operating device for all of said three means, whereby the several operations of cutting off, pressing to form, and removing the fin, may be performed 1n one heat and by successive transfer of blanks from the cutting off means to I through that die of the formed object after the fin has been removed from such object. 6. Means for forging-balls and the like,

comprising in combination cup diesand fin-shearing dies, and a single operating means for operating said dies, one ofthe fin cutting dies having an aperture through it ofa size adapted to permit the passage through that die of the formed object after the fin has been removed from such object,

and a delivery chute arranged to ,receive the formed ob ects astheydrop through such apertured die.

7. Means for forging balls and the like, comprising in combination a rolling mill adapted to roll ingots and the like into bars of a cross-section suitable for the formation of balls therefrom, cutting means and pressing means adapted to out such bars into suitable blanks and to presssame to ballform, automatic feedingv means arranged to deliver the bars to said cutting means, and automatic feeding means arranged to deliver the rolled bars from the rolling mill to said first mentioned feeding means.

8. The herein described method of forging balls and like objects, Which comprises hot rolling a metal ingot into a blank-bar, cutting said bar into blanks, and pressing each blank to ball-form as produced, the several operations of rolling the heated ingot, cutting the resulting bar into blanks, and pressing such blanks into form, being performed all at one heat.

9. The herein described method of forging balls and like objects, which comprises hot rolling a metal ingot into a blank-bar, cutting said bar into blanks, and pressing each blank to form as produced, the several operations of rolling the heated ingot, cutting the resulting 'bar into blanks, and pressing such blanks into form, being performed all at one heat, and the cutting and pressing operations being performed each as a single operation;

In testimony whereof-I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

FERDINAND MORA CANDA.

Witnesses H. M. MARBLE, PA L H. FRANKE. 

